God Issues Today: "Feeling Old"

Author, educator and commentator Dr. James Denison has been pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas since June, 1998. Prior to that, he was pastor at churches in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Midland (at First Baptist!) and Mansfield, Texas.

Jesus is going to come back on a Monday morning, because he promised to return in an "hour when ye think not" (Luke 12:40, KJV). For me, this morning qualifies. I sneezed and coughed my way through my sermon yesterday and through last night as well. In between medicine-induced naps, however, I did watch enough of the Grammys to feel better about myself. Robert Plant, former lead singer of Led Zeppelin and now 60 years old, won album of the year for "Raising Sand," his collaboration with Alison Krauss. If Mr. Plant can beat a room full of musicians half his age, I can write this essay.

Age is just a number, they say. ("They" are probably really old.) Some of the most significant figures in biblical history were rather advanced in years when they took the stage. Remember Abraham, a century old when Isaac was born, and Moses, 80 years old when he confronted Pharaoh. Caleb speaks for all who are chronologically challenged when he tells Joshua, "Here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said" (Joshua 14:10-12). And he did.

Frank Lloyd Wright was still working on architectural projects when he died at the age of 91. When asked which was his greatest achievement, he replied, "My next one!" Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. served on the Supreme Court to the age of 90, at which time he took up the study of Greek to improve his mind. Albert Schweitzer served his beloved hospital in Africa to his death at the age of 90.

None of us knows how many days we will live, but we can know the One who does. We can begin this day by submitting it to his care and plans. When we do, we will find that his will never leads where his grace cannot sustain. The Trappist monk Thomas Merton has much helped me with this prayer: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen?